Daily Roundup: Pierre-Luc Dubois bench, the Tyler Toffoli Revenge Tour and more
Welcome to Daily Roundup, your source for all of the news, rumours, and headlines from around the NHL.
Pierre on the pine
Remember yesterday when I wrote a bit about the Dubois saga? Well, last night it took another turn. After being outmanned deep in the offensive zone on a forecheck in the first period, Dubois looked a little… disinterested in putting in more effort.
here's the clip. not a great look for pld. https://t.co/5dzWAJXJsM pic.twitter.com/P2axQNuz1Z
— zach laing (@zjlaing) January 22, 2021
Nonetheless, Dubois found himself stapled to the bench for the rest of the game. And now, Dubois may find himself on the bench for more than just that game.
Tortorella said he doesn’t know yet whether Dubois will play in Saturday’s game against the Lightning. He insisted Dubois isn’t being treated differently than any other player who is not playing up the coach’s tough standards. He demands constant hustle, forwards mixing it up on defence and aggressive play away from the puck.
“He doesn’t get benched for one shift last night — this has eroded and it just kept eroding in the first five games,” Tortorella said. “And I think a lot of people are putting a bigger deal on it because of the extenuating circumstances. You guys (the media) can do that. I’m just coaching athletes, and I will not allow our standard of play and our culture and how we go about our business here change.” – Associated Press
The Tyler Toffoli Revenge Tour
#Habs Tyler Toffoli is the first player in #NHL history to score each of his first 5 goals with a franchise against his previous team.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) January 22, 2021
So… yeah, not a bad few first games with the Canadiens for Tyler Toffoli. It’s hard to imagine the Canucks are regretting Toffoli walk to free agency after paying the Kings a pretty penny at the deadline last year.
Toffoli went out and put up five goals in two games against the Canucks this week and now has seven points in five games. Not a bad start to the year for him.
NBC out
The NBC Sports Network is reportedly shutting its doors later this year with big events like NHL games and NASCAR races shifting over to the USA Network.
It’s a big shift and leaves the door open for NHL game to enter more homes, Patrik Crakers, a former Fox Sports executive who now runs Crakes Media Consulting told The Athletic.
According to Crakes, it’s a two-fold development of positivity for the NHL. For starters, if NHL games are moving from NBCSN to USA, the league is moving into more homes and gaining more viewership.
Crakes said it’s possible that NBC could use the NHL to put exclusive games within it’s Peacock streaming platform, which NBC has been working to bolster, but the NHL likely wouldn’t allow that to happen without at least keeping a similar number of games broadcast on USA or NBC, if not more.
And even if NBC is looking for fewer NHL games, which is possible, it opens the league to more easily pick up a second national TV partner.
“The NHL can now make more money with another high-quality partner in addition to NBC at the end of this deal,” Crakes said. “If that’s the case, where is the bad?” – The Athletic
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.